This is a simple and delicious recipe that I love to make for gatherings because it can be made before people arrive. This allows me to be present with friends instead of being busy in the kitchen. When people are hungry, the soup is warm and ready to go! Just sprinkle on desired toppings and enjoy!

Meanwhile, puree half of beans and 1 cup of broth in blender until smooth. stir pureed beans, remaining whole beans and remaining broth into pot and bring to simmer. Cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with cilantro and avocado.

This is one for my favorite fall recipes. Pumpkin soup is a treat, but pumpkin soup with ancho chilies is on a whole other level! Anchos are not super spicy and are often described as earthy, smoky and sweet. In this soup they add a rich deep flavor with just a little spice that makes it extra super special.

Ingredients:

1 medium pumpkin, roasted

3 dried ancho chilies

2 celery stalks

2 medium carrots

1/2 onion

vegetable stock or water

2-3 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil

2 tsp cinnamon

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut pumpkin in half and scoop out seeds.

Lightly oil pumpkin halves and place on a baking sheet, cut side down.

Roast pumpkin for 30 minutes then flip and continue roasting until soft and caramelized, let cool.

Start a small saucepan of water to boil.

Cut ancho chilies and remove seeds.

Toast Chiles. Start by preheating a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes. Add dry chilies and press with spatula until toasted, roughly 15-25 seconds for each side.

Add toasted chilies to boiling water and turn off heat. Let sit for 5-7 minutes in water, then drain. Discard water.

As a bodyworker trained in Therapeutic Massage and Shiatsu, sessions with Amy focus on addressing your immediate concerns as well as the root cause. She takes the time to listen to your concerns and all aspects of your health. Her work is gentle, but deep to unwind patterns that have been held in the body. Sessions together may include assisted stretching, self-care suggestions and aromatherapy. Her work in conjunction with increased body awareness will give you the tools to curb off future pain and stress. Amy has been practicing bodywork since 2015. For more information about Amy's practice, visit her professional website.

I incorporate plant proteins into my weekly meal plan to ensure I'm meeting my nutrition needs with a variety of sources, while also making food choices that have a positive impact on the environment. I always have nuts around for snacking, seeds to top salads, and an assortment of beans and lentils to throw in a pot of soup or make into a veggie dip.

This recipe has become a staple and one that I double whenever I make it. The patties can be frozen on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet for a quick meal on the fly. These are also great to share with friends and family members who are facing hardship, illness or have welcomed a new babe to their household. ​

Lentil Walnut Burgers

Adapted from The Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie KatzenMakes 4 servings

Ingredients

3/4 cup dry lentils

1 1/2 cup water

2 Tbsp cider vinegar

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup finely minced onion

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup very finely minced walnuts

1 tsp salt

6 cups fresh spinach, finely minced

1 tsp dry mustard

fresh black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup ground flaxseeds

Directions

Place lentils and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft and the liquid is gone. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl, add vinegar and mash well.

Heat oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add onions and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Add all the remaining ingredients except flaxseeds and sauté 5-7 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender.

Add the sauté and flaxseeds to the lentils and mix well. Chill for about 1 hour.

Form 4-inch diameter burgers. Fry in a small amount of hot avocado oil on both sides until heated through and crispy on the outside or broil for 5-8 minutes on each side.

Serve with your favorite toppings over salad greens or between bread.

Jesse Haas is a licensed nutritionist and co-founder of Wellness Minneapolis. Her work in nutrition and wellness starts at the intersection of evidence-based nutrition and heart-centered care. She offers individualized and group nutrition services with the mission to empower each client with the knowledge, skills and motivation to take their wellness by the reins. ​

I love backpacking. Getting deep in to the woods, miles from anyone else and being totally immersed in nature is pure bliss. One major challenge for backpacking is how do you bring nourishing food to last several days that is light and easy to bring along? An even bigger challenge is doing this on a low carb diet! I had to tackle this head on getting ready for a backpacking trip this summer. My partner and I spent many hours researching and preparing so I want to share with you what I have learned. This isn’t a typical recipe blog more of a how-to guide to plan for healthycamping/backpacking meals.

Breakfast:Most backpackers rely on oatmeal for a satisfying breakfast. It is light to carry and easy to prepare. So we didn’t stray far from this classic we found Wildway Grain Free Instant Hot Cereal. We tried four of their flavors and my favorite was toasted coconut. We brought along some chia seeds and coconut oil to add to this breakfast.Net carbs= 8g

Lunch:In the middle of the day we were moving so we didn’t really want to sit down and eat a big meal so we broke lunch up in to two smaller meals.

Meal 1: We brought along with us some pecans and my favorite turkey jerky by Vermont Smoke and Cure. Eating ¼ cup of pecans and 2 jerky sticks each gave us enough fuel to make it to our second smaller meal.Net carbs= 3g

Meal 2: We combined chocolate protein powder, fiber powder, greens powder and powdered coconut milk with water for a chocolate pick me up drink. My current favorite protein powder is NutriDyn’s Chocolate Paleo Protein. We also use NutriDyns fruits and greens powders for an extra boost. My favorite is their espresso flavor.

Net carbs= this will depend on what fiber you use and if you choose to add a greens powder. The greens powder does increase the carb count for us this came out to 9 grams.

Protein:We have a dehydrator and used that to dehydrate several pounds of ground beef. (insert picture of dehydrating beef). The process is quite simple you cook the beef thoroughly, strain off the fat (I know this isn’t very ketogenic but in order dry properly and keep it from spoiling it must be done) and pat it dry with a paper towel. Then spread it out on the dehydrator. We found that after a few hours it helps to move it around to ensure if fully dries out. It’s amazing how small a pound of ground beef becomes

Next time we will try dehydrating chicken. This time we settled for some chicken pouches that we took with us on shorter trips.

Veggies:For vegetables we didn’t have the time or energy to dehydrate ourselves this trip so settled for buying dehydrated broccoli, spinach, onion and celery. We made individual pouches combining these and used them with every dinner. In the end we didn’t like the celery. It never rehydrated well and was quite chewy so I would leave that one out.

For multiday backpacking we used pouches of spices that we assembled at home. My favorite was a curry we put together. For days that we weren’t hiking far we used premade sauce mixes.

Fat:We brought two small jars of coconut oil to add to our meals. We also had some packets of almond butter to add to our curry dinner as well as powdered coconut milk. We bought a few unripe avocados and managed to keep them safe and added them to a few of our dinners as well.

Putting it all together:The dehydrated beef worked out surprisingly well. We did discover that it works best if you add the beef to a bowl with a few cups of water and let it sit covered for at least 30 minutes before starting to cook. Once the dehydrated beef was pretty well rehydrated we used our camping stove to heat the beef, add more water if needed and added the spices/flavor pouch and vegetables. Cook until everything is rehydrated.

Tips:We didn’t factor in how much sweating we would do and how much extra sodium we would require. We did bring along electrolyte packets to take once per day but a few days in I was starting to get lightheaded and realized I needed more salt. We make a quick stop and picked up some more salt before continuing on our way. A low carb diet often increases your salt requirements so if you will be sweating a lot in addition make sure you bring extra salt!

If you have any camping food tips please comment below. We are always looking for new ideas.it.

Dr.Sara Jean Barrett is Co-Founder of Wellness Minneapolis and a naturopathic doctor who treats patients of all ages with a variety of health concerns. Her passion for her practice is demonstrated in the strong relationships she builds with her patients. It’s those relationships that allow her to more deeply identify underlying causes of health issues and provide patients with personalized, natural health care options. Learn more about Dr. Barrett by visiting her professional website.

I am a self-crowned queen of one-pot meals. They make my world go round.

Recently I've been jamming on a tofu and veggie noodle soup dish that has been hitting the spot for weeks.

Now, soy has gotten a bad rap over the years, that has largely been unresolved. Before you dig into the following rant about that, get you soup going - it will be ready by the time you finish reading this.

There are two big things about soy that come up in my work with clients and conversations with other wellness junkies:

1) Soy is an allergen. It is one of the 7 most common food allergens, and for that reason can be problematic for people. People who have an allergy to soy may experience difficulty breathing, hives, rapid heart rate, tightening in their throat or chest, and other not fun and potentially life threatening symptoms.

An intolerance to soy (or any other food) could be less straightforward. Food intolerances are sneaky, sneaky. Symptoms include digestive upset of all shapes and sizes, muscle and joint pain, headaches and migraines, brain fog, fatigue, eczema and much more fun. An Elimination Diet is the best way to identify food intolerances.

2) Compounds in soy have been named "phyto-estrogens" and implicated in various health concerns, including the obesity epidemic - especially a pattern of fat accumulation that had been identified as "feminine" (i.e. breasts, butt and thighs) - early puberty, breast and other cancers of the sex organs.

Years ago, I heard a retelling of a conversation with the biochemist who identified phytoestrogens in which he reported regret for the naming of the compound, because it raised some significant alarm and dissuaded individuals from eating soy. I mean, when hormones like estrogen are implicated in all kinds of diseases, who would want to eat it? (this is all hearsay so don't quote me on it)

Phytoestrogens were named such because they resemble the chemical structure of estradiol, an active form of estrogen. This molecular mimicry allows phytoestrogens to attach to estrogen receptors in the body and exert a similar effect. While they're able to bind to these receptors, they do so weakly thereby exerting a weaker effect than estradiol or other forms of estrogen. The consequence of this is that estradiol remains in circulation and is therefore shuttled to detoxification and elimination.

What does that mean for our health?

Well, it turns out that these compounds, a class of isoflavones, actually protect against those cancers we previously feared. If you want to read more about that, I recommend this article by Dr. Tina Kaczor who dug into the literature to better understand what the relationship between soy consumption and cancer actually was.

Bottom line: People who are allergic or have an intolerance to soy should not eat it. But if you're not allergic to soy, even if you have a family history of breast cancer, bon appetit.

One last note on soy foods before I give you this delicious recipe: not all soy foods are created equal.

Imagine a drive through the Minnesota countryside: on your left you see corn waving in the wind as far as your eye can see. And on your right, you see soy replenishing the corn-depleted soil from last years growing season. Combined, corn and soy make up 50% of all crops grown in the US. We are so good at growing corn and soy that food scientists had to figure out what to do with all of it, and now byproducts of each are in virtually every box, bag or can of food.

Ingredients made from SOY:

bulking agents

carob

emulsifiers

guar gum

natural flavors

shoyu

soy beverages

soy flour

soy lecithin

soy miso

protein concentrate

soy protein isolate

soy sauce

soybean oil

stabilizer

tamari

tempeh

texturized vegetable protein

vegetable broth

vegetable gum

Ingredients made from CORN:

citric acid

confectioner's sugar

corn flour

corn fructose

corn meal

corn oil

corn syrup

dextrin and dextrose

fructose

lactic acid

malt

monoglycerides

diglycerides

monosodium glutamate (MSG)

sorbitol

starch

baking soda usually contains cornstarch

If you read Dr. Kaczor's article, she'll make a case for including soy no matter the source. I have a little more conservative approach. When advising clients about choosing the foods with the highest nutritional value, I recommend limiting soy consumption to the whole food and traditionally fermented products: edamame, fermented tofu, tempeh, tamari or soy sauce. If shopping for soy milk, choose a product with the fewest ingredients possible...which should be water, soybeans and maybe some salt.

Rant complete.

You ready for that recipe now?

This soup is best eaten freshly prepared. The noodles do not hold over well and will get unappealingly mushy if cooked and stored. Store your prepped ingredients separately for an easy to assemble meal.

INGREDIENTS for 4 servings:

12 cups chicken or veggie broth

1 package Lotus Foods* black rice noodles

1" ginger root

1 block fermented tofu (I like Wildwood*)

1 red bell pepper

1 cup snap peas

2 baby pak choy

4 shiitake mushrooms

1 scallion

toasted sesame oil or chili infused toasted sesame oil

tamari

cilantro (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Bring your broth to a boil in large saucepan: 3 cups per serving.

While your broth is heating, chop the tofu, bell pepper, snap peas, pok choy, mushrooms and scallions into small pieces.

When your broth is ready, place 1 block of rice noodles per serving into the broth. Grate the ginger into the broth with a box grater. Cover and cook as directed. Portion out the cooked noodles to soup bowls. Give them a generous amount of toasted sesame or chili infused toasted sesame oil and toss so they don't stick to each other.

Add approximately a 1/2 cup of tofu and pak choy, and a 1/4 cup bell pepper, snap peas, mushrooms and scallion to the pot (per serving). Cook for 3-5 minutes.

Ladle broth and yummies over your noodles and season with tamari and cilantro, if using.

Dig in with a fork or chopsticks and get ready to sip broth right from the bowl.

*I am not affiliated with these brands and do not make a commission on recommended their products to you. ​

Jesse Haas is a heart-centered and deeply intuitive nutritionist, with a strong background in health sciences and a stronger commitment to solving the intricate puzzles of her clients health concerns. She combines nutritional counseling and whole foods education to help her clients transform their health in small, sustainable ways. Jesse truly believes in "teaching a (wo)man to fish" so focuses on empowering each client with the knowledge, skills and focus they need to fully hold the reins on their health.

From the Kitchen of Katie Oberton / Adapted from "Pinch of Yum" by Lindsay Ostrom

If you know me well, you know that cooking is not something I do often. I’m lucky to have a husband who loves to cook and is great at it. However, over the course of the past few months we have been busier than ever. When we would get home from our busy days, we didn’t have the energy to grocery shop or cook, so we ordered out. Once I realized how much this was consuming our budget, I decided it was time to split the cooking duties. I started following a few Twin Cities food bloggers on social media, and can now proudly say I make dinner at least once a week. Again, if you know me, you know this is huge progress for me in the kitchen. The trick to this for me has been finding easy and delicious meals for our family. Below is one of my go to meals. It’s quick and easy, which works for our busy schedule. It also can be altered for your needs, and of course it’s delicious! It was adapted from one of my favorite new food bloggers Lindsay Ostrom from Pinch of Yum. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 pound of pasta

1 jar of tomato sauce

1 cup cashews

¼ cup water

Salt and herbs to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and toss with sauce over low heat.

In blender or food processor, blend the cashews with the water. Blend until smooth.

Add cashew sauce to the pasta. Stir until well blended.

Top pasta with meat, salt or herbs, vegetables, or whatever you may like. I prefer to add in peas and spinach (like in the picture).

This gluten-free (noodle free) take on vegetable lasagna is one of my favorite recipes for any season. As someone who likes to eat nutritious meals packed with veggies, but doesn't like spending a lot of time each day figuring out what to eat this is a great option. You can make a pan on a day off and have it to eat throughout the week. This recipe can easily be made dairy free by omitting the parmesan cheese or substituting dairy free cheese. Feel free to play with different vegetables as they go in and out of season.

Add finely diced onions to pan and cook until they start to become translucent.

Add ground pork sausage to onions. Breaking it up into small bits until fully cooked.

Add garlic to pan when ground pork sausage is almost fully cooked.

While the sausage is browning, puree 1 can of tomatoes in a food processor.

Add tomatoes to sausage when it is fully cooked.

Season with oregano, basil, crushed red pepper and one bay leaf. Add a splash of olive oil for robustness.

Turn sauce down to low and let simmer 20-30 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Thinly slice all vegetables with a mandolin. Keep each vegetable in separate piles.

When sauce is ready, start layering vegetables in a 11x13 inch pan. Start with a little bit of sauce on the bottom of the pan and a layer of potatoes. After two or three different vegetable layers, add a layer of sauce, a shake of salt and pepper and a layer of grated parmesan. Continue until all ingredients are gone. End with a layer of sauce and grated parmesan.

Bake in oven, covered, at 350 degree for approximately one hour, uncovered.

Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

As a bodyworker trained in Therapeutic Massage and Shiatsu, sessions with Amy focus on addressing your immediate concerns as well as the root cause. She takes the time to listen to your concerns and all aspects of your health.

One of the great things about having multi-cultural children is that I have an inside look into other cultures outside of my own. My father-in-law is Pilipino, and has exposed me to a variety of delicious traditional dishes. One of them is Chicken and Long Rice, and I try to make it as often as I can.

It is a perfect meal for a wintery evening, especially when you are feeling run-down or in the midst of catching a cold. It’s simple, yummy, easy to make, and fills you up without feeling bloated or uncomfortable. Plus the onion and ginger add some therapeutic qualities - who can argue with that?!

Place chicken broth, chicken, and ginger together into a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low. Simmer until the chicken is tender and no longer pink, about 35 minutes. Skim the chicken solids as it cooks off.

Place the bean thread noodles into the broth and simmer until softened, about 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, take each piece of chicken, remove the skin and bones and discard. Roughly chop the remaining chicken meat and place back into the broth.

Scoop out the chicken, noodles and broth mixture into each bowl, and sprinkle a few green onion slices on top.

One of the best things about fall and winter are the plethora of squashes that fill our shop aisles, adorn our front steps and brighten our dining room tables. All the different shapes, colors and sizes never fail to amaze and impress me each year. This butternut recipe is one of my favorites - it’s a little bit of heaven in a bowl!

In addition to butternut squash, and a plethora of warming spices, this recipe also includes chickpeas and red lentils which add protein and depth. As a vegetarian, this combination draws me in. From a TCM perspective, the winter squash and the chickpeas are sweet and warm, nourish the spleen and stomach energy systems and aid digestion. The warming properties of this dish come from the turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and black pepper. All of these spices warm the body’s interior, making it a perfect dish for the cold weather of winter. The red lentils are slightly cool and tonify the Yin which balances perfectly with the warmth of the spices, peas and squash. Lentils also drain damp from the body. So if you are feeling chilled, bloated, and fatigued, this would be an excellent dinner for you!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 large onions, diced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

salt and pepper

1/2 cup red lentils

1 (14oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 can tomato sauce (or 2 cups homemade)

a handful chopped parsley

a bunch of cilantro, chopped

1 large butternut or other squash

5 cups vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

2 oz. orzo or rice

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute until starting to turn brown. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the garlic, celery, spices and 1 tsp ground black pepper. Saute for a few minutes.

Now add the red lentils, chickpeas, tomato sauce, parsley and about half the cilantro. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel and seed the squash and cut into large cubes. Add squash to the pot with the vegetable stock and bay. Cover and simmer gently for about 30 minutes. Add the pasta (or rice) and simmer until it is cooked. Season with salt and pepper.

I discovered this recipe courtesy of Lakewinds Food Co-op. They were sampling this recipe during one of my frequent trips to their store and I fell in love. I am dairy-free and have been missing creamy noodles!

In a large sauce pan, sauté the garlic, onion, mushrooms, zucchini and red bell pepper in the olive oil. Cook until tender about 5-7 minutes.

At the same time cook the noodles until about halfway done.

Add soup, vinegar, half cooked noodles, salt and pepper to the vegetable mixture and bring to a boil. Stirring until shells are cooked.

Serves 3-4

Variations: I find that adding a spicy meat such as hot turkey or pork sausage really adds to the meal. I add the meat to the onions and garlic until fully cooked then add the vegetables and continue with the recipe as written.

Dr. Sara Jean Barrett is a registered Naturopathic Doctor and co-founder of Wellness Minneapolis. She is also the President of the Minnesota Association of Naturopathic Physicians and a Member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Click here to learn more about Dr. Barrett.